Saint Paul’s girls knew they were entering the lion’s den when they visited East Hampton Wednesday night. Their opponent was the top seed in the tournament, owning a 24-1 record and inflicting double digit losses on almost every foe.

But the Falcons never backed down. The score was tied at 21 at halftime, and St. Paul actually led by one point going into the 4th quarter. But in a defensive slugfest in which baskets were few and far between, St. Paul managed only seven points in the fourth quarter while East Hampton scored 12, mostly from the foul line. The final score, 39-35, reflected the physical nature of this contest. The other telling stat was the 20 points East Hampton scored from the foul stripe.

Audrey Tice scored 13 points to lead the St. Paul offense, with Haileigh Orzel chipping in with 11.

The Falcons end their season with a 20-6 record.

East Hampton, now 25-1, moves on to the semi-finals to face #5 Coginchaug on Monday night.